Dagenham v Reading

[lupins]

Talking as I just did in another thread about the old days I thought it worth mentioning that Monday was the 50th anniversary of the Daggers playing Reading at home in the FA Cup second round replay
I often think of that game as a pivotal point in our early history and remember arriving in Victoria Road at 6 pm and the queue stretching right down the road to the end. Walking into the car park a turnstile was suddenly opened and I was one of the first ones in the ground getting on the wall behind the goal.
Must have been the biggest crowd ever in the ground.
Just for entertainment three questions
Who would we have played in the third round
Who scored our goal in the first game
Who had an effort cleared off the line that may have been an equaliser

[Mike the Dagger]

Even before my time that one. I'd have been 7! Saw my first Daggers game in 1973.

Official attendance is 7,200. It must have been madness in there! Some sources say 8,000. Long before the days of "safety officers"!

We would have played Manchester City at Maine Road in the third round. Reading drew there and then lost the replay at home 7-0.

No clue on the other Qs although was that the Kenny Gray era? What a player he was.

[lupins]

it was before Kenny Gray era but yes what a player he was

I can still remember the size of the crowd on the grass slope that certainly was before Safety came to the fore

[Daggernewbie]

Answer to Lupins questions supplied by Russell Elmes

1 :- As stated Mike the Dagger
2 :- Dave Morris
3 :- Tony Bass

[BB-Dagger]

I can't remember the Reading game but it must have been then or there about when I first started going to Victoria Rd, I remember Tony Bass playing and still have some old programs with him in the line up! I must try and dig them out of the loft sometime soon.
Also the muddy hill behind the goal.... what a laugh that was, happy days, health and safety would have a mental breakdown now ha ha ha,

[lupins]

Tony Bass goes to most games often see him in the stand

[IanC]

it was before Kenny Gray era but yes what a player he was

I can still remember the size of the crowd on the grass slope that certainly was before Safety came to the fore

Real interesting stuff guys,can anyone tell me if its the same Ken Gray who was a schoolteacher (design technology/technical drawing I think it was) as well,and went on to manage Rainham Town.
Between 75-80 I was at John Cass school in Stepney which is where my non league journey started,i loved it Ken Gray was Rainham manager,and my PE teacher was Ken Wallace who played in the same Maidstone team has Chris Kinnear the Dover manager.
I loved it they would all bring me programmes from the Saturday and I would pick their brains about the games and personnel,and of course they obviously knew who stilly was.And then even better 3 years after I left school I found myself at Rainham as a player,the first of many clubs to follow,alas Kenny was no longer there.
So be great if anyone can help with above question,and also wonder if he is still on gods earth,ta

[Mark]

There is another daggers fan who used to play up front for Rainham I believe, may have been before you though.

[jag]

I well remember the Dagenham v Reading games, I went to the Elm Park ground in Reading by coach on the Saturday and we took the lead with a Dave Morris goal but Reading equalised in front of 11,000 to make a replay in the following week, however this replay was cancelled due to snow and was rearranged for the following week where we lost 1-0 Tony Bass hitting the bar in front of 7,000 plus crowed what a great but sad evening and just think we could have been going up to Main Road in the next round, memories for ever.